HAIRSPRAY The Unauthorized Sequel 'Part One'
by hairsprayheart
Summary: The first part of the sequel to the beloved new Hairspray movie musical, as written by hairsprayheart, a devoted fan. Enjoy! NOW COMPLETE Part Two is also started!
1. A Joyful Beginning

Link and Tracy pulled back from each other, breathless and blushing from the extended kiss.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," Link admitted.

"Me, too," Tracy laughed.

"Link Larkin?" a lady asked, coming forward.

"That's me," Link said, hastily wiping some of Tracy's lipstick off of his mouth.

"I'm from the reputable Solo Flite Record Company. We're willing to offer you a record deal," the lady said. "The hours required at the recording to studio would be flexible for your show, and YOU would get credit for YOUR music. We could make you a star – far beyond Baltimore. Beyond _Maryland_."

Tracy watched Link's eyes light up.

A man came over, with another offer. As more and more people encircled Link, Tracy found herself being pushed out of the way. She sighed softly and moved away.

"Tracy!"

She turned to see her mother rushing towards her. They both began to cry. They hadn't seen each other for a few days.

"Oh, Tracy, we were so worried about you, hon!" Edna exclaimed.

Laughing and crying, they both embraced.

"Ma, Motormouth Maybelle was taking care of me. I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you. This whole thing has just been…"

"I know, hon," Edna sighed. "But so much good has come out of it! Your friend Inez can dance on the show now; Maybelle has the job she deserves, and Velma von Tussle got what _she_ deserved." She looked at her daughter with concern. "I just want to make sure that _you're_ happy."

"Oh, Ma, happier than ever!" Tracy promised. "Are… well… you know… things okay between you and Dad?"

"Just fine," Edna said quickly, not wanting to be reminded of the night Velma had tried to seduce Wilbur. "Don't you worry about us, hon. It was all a mistake. Now," she smiled, "explain _your_ love life."

Tracy blushed.

"Oh, it's all right," Edna sighed. "Love needs no explanation. "I know I've probably been a little too tough on you, hon, and I just want you to know that" –she sniffled – "I love you Tracy."

"Aw, Ma!" Tracy cried even harder.

"Oh, there is one more thing I wanted to say," Edna said, regaining her composure. "After they saw me dancing on stage just now, they told me they were looking for someone to replace Velma, and that I'd be perfect. They offered me the job… and I took it!"

"Ma!" Tracy squealed. She couldn't believe her conservative mother's words. "So… no more laundry?"

"No more laundry," Edna chuckled.

"Dad won't be lonely at home, all by himself in the Joke Shop?"

"Well, seeing as how we'll be earning a bit more money here…"  
"A LOT more money!" Tracy interjected, remembering the von Tussles' outrageous salaries, with proportional spending habits.

"… the Joke Shop will be more of a hobby than a job now."

Tracy's mind reeled. What would they do with all that money? _More hairspray_, she thought immediately.

"Well, hon, I've got to fix up my office," she smiled. "I, uh, put some steak on at home. I thought we'd have a party tonight, to celebrate you comin' home, Inez gettin' head dancer, Maybelle's new job… all that. So I'd appreciate if you would go home and tidy things up for me."

"Who'd you invite?" Tracy wondered.

"Oh, everybody," Edna said.

Tracy laughed, loving seeing her conservative mother finally coming out of her shell.

Realizing her opportunity to go home and relax, she took it. She couldn't wait to change out of her formal, tight clothing. "Ok, Ma, well see you in a few hours," she said, picking up her purse and pushing through a crowd of people. It would feel so good to get home, kick off her shoes, and…

"Stop right there," a police officer growled, inches from her face.


	2. A Walk Together

Gasping with surprise, Tracy did.

"We have determined that… the whole thing was a misunderstanding. We wanted to notify you that you are now free to go. Ah, 'off the hook,' as the young people say."

Tracy sighed, relieved.

"By the way, great dancing today."

Tracy nodded, still a little shaky, and made her way through the remainder of the crowd. She pushed through the studio's glass double doors and gulped a breath of fresh air, holding the door to steady herself.

A crowd of reporters stood in a circle on the other side of the street, and as two familiar blonde heads bobbed up and down, Tracy could guess who they were talking to.

Tired of the drama they caused and eager to get home, Tracy kept walking.

Closer to her house, she heard footsteps behind her.

Hands caught her by the elbows, and Link enveloped her in a hug. "You were amazing today, Trace," he crooned, smiling at her from over her shoulder, hugging her as they walked.

"So, what's happening with all of those record people?" Tracy asked.

Link straightened, grinning.

"Well, yours truly just got a record deal with the hottest new company in Baltimore… for both of us."

"What?" Tracy shrieked. "How did you know I could sing?"

"I didn't," Link smiled sheepishly. "But Corny did. Him being my boss 'n' all, I had to get his permission for the deal. Everything worked out great. But, uh, there is a sort of catch."

Tracy raised her eyebrows.

"The record company already thinks we'll be a success, and wants us to go on tour with the entire _Corny Collins_ council this summer! It'll be a cross-country road trip! So, whaddya think?"

He looked so much like an excited little boy that Tracy had to laugh.

"What?" he asked, suddenly nervous.

"You're really happy about this, aren't you?" she inquired.

"Well, yeah," he replied, flustered.

"You're so cute," she giggled.

He snorted.

"So, are you coming to the party at my house tonight?"

"Of course," he smiled, the record deal briefly forgotten.

"It wouldn't be a party without you," Tracy told him, boosting his ego to smooth over the record situation. She nuzzled into his chest and sighed as she took in his scent. "That said, I could use the help of a hip young man such as yourself to decorate…"

Link smiled down at her, kissed the top of her head, and agreed.

"How can I say no to that face?"


	3. A Happy Homecoming

"My room," Tracy breathed upon entering it. "My bed…" she flopped onto her bed and sniffed her pillow. "I missed it so much.

Link sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, balanced rather precariously. Not knowing what to do, he stood up again, walked around the room a few times, and returned to his post there.

"What happened?" Tracy asked suddenly, slightly startled, looking about her room.

"Oh, ah… your mom kinda let me in while you were gone."

Surveying her room, Tracy noticed the rumpled sheets (that smelled deliciously like Link), a picture of her (laid gently next to her pillow), and the chocolate bar stashed there (with another bite taken out of it…).

Tracy narrowed her eyes slightly before pouncing on Link to hug him.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me," Tracy sighed happily as she lay on top of him.

"You didn't?" Link squeaked, feeling slightly squished, but excited that their feelings were mutual. He cleared his throat. "I just missed you so much. I'm sorry if I messed anything up in here."

"No. It's perfect this way," Tracy assured him. She leaned down…

…Just as the doorbell rang.

Tracy rolled over before running downstairs.

Slightly relieved, Link sat up and sighed. He listened to Tracy usher in Penny Pingleton, her best friend. Sliding smoothly off of the bed, he took a deep breath, released it, slicked back his hair, and started down the stairs.

He was greeted by a wide-eyed stare from Penny, who hadn't realized, apparently, that he was already there. She quickly lowered her gaze and gave Tracy a subtle nudge. Tracy shook her head quickly as Link hopped down the rest of the stairs and went into the kitchen to get a small snack. He strung some of the ribbons that Tracy had laid out on the counters, trying to catch snitches of the girls' conversation and wondering if they were talking about him.

Humming to himself, he smiled and thought of how happy Tracy had been when she hears of how he'd come to visit her parents while she was hiding from the police.

"LINK!" Tracy called. "Ma's home!"

_Ma._

Link's smile grew as he realized that Tracy had just said "Ma," instead of "my Ma." He already felt like part of the family, and it felt good.

"Aw, Link, you already started decoratin'," Edna said, shuffling into the kitchen with a load of bagged groceries for the party. She set them down on the counter next to Link. "What a dear."

Link gave her a small smile. He knew Edna hadn't always liked him.

"Tracy? Penny? Could you girls come help in the kitchen? I'm making some appetizers," Edna called.

The girls washed up and began to assist Edna. Tracy knew Link was wondering what was going on, and she wanted to assure him, but her mother and Penny were right there. They would have to talk later. She resigned herself to chopping vegetables next to him as he measured out some more streamers to hang up on the wall.

When everything was ready, the doorbell rang to announce the arrival of Wilbur, Tracy's dad, who had picked up the Stubbs family to ensure their safe arrival on his way home.

"Here you go, _Miss Hairspray_," Link smiled to Inez, placing a paper crown on her head. "Congratulations, Inez."

"Thanks, Link." Inez glowed with pride.

More people began to fill the house, which soon became extremely crowded. Tracy managed to pull Link away from the council boys he was talking to about his new record deal. They escaped to the sanctuary of a quiet upstairs closet.

"Why was Penny looking at me like that?" Link burst out immediately.

"Oh, Link, I think she was just surprised that we were here together. It's really nothing," Tracy promised. "I just told her that you were an amazingly wonderful boyfriend." She paused. "We are… going, right? And it's okay to call you my boyfriend?"

Link smiled and nodded, pulling Tracy closer to him.

"Oh, there's something I wanted to tell you," he said impulsively, and grabbed her and kissed her. As Tracy fell limp in his strong arms, all their worries slipped away with each moment that they were together.


	4. A New Sort of Show

Looking around the studio on Monday, Tracy knew things would never again be the same for _The Corny Collins Show_.

"This is crazy, Corny," Maybelle finally said to her co-host. "How can we have forty kids dancing on this tiny stage, all at the same time?" She shook her head. "If you find a way to make it work, please let me know."

"It has to work," Corny frowned.

"You know I want this as much as you," Maybelle told him. "And I've had to work a lot harder to get it. But putting two councils together… I don't know. The whole choreography will be messed up," she sighed. "It's hard enough to get them to agree as it is. If it's this hard to get it to work out mentally… it's gonna take a lot more work to make it work, physically."

Corny was visibly frustrated.

"What can we do about it?" he fussed. "Switch off councils every other day, with half of one and half of the other?"

Maybelle shook her head again. "The original council members are too used to dancing with each other for us to do that. There's gotta be something else."

Corny kept thinking. "It's not like we can get rid of half of our originals.

"Or make_ us_ give up our dreams."

"No," Corny agreed. "Definitely not."

"What, then?"

"Maybe… maybe Edna has an idea."

"Get a bigger stage," Edna suggested when they approached her, rather bluntly for everyone's taste. "Or… agh, I don't know. I'm sorry, Mr. Collins."

"Corny, it looks to me like you don't have too much to worry about now," Maybelle said, bitterly, discovering some sheets of paper on Edna's desk. "Three of the 'originals' just handed in their resignation papers just now."

"Who?" Corny fumed.

"Looks like… Paulie, Luanne, and Brad. Aww, Luanne seemed so sweet…"

"Not Brad," Corny groaned. "He was our second head dancer… and now Paulie and Luanne's partners are alone, but won't work with each other. I guess we'll have to rearrange the whole pairing order, or make someone sit out…"

"That's it!" Edna cried. "Just switch the dancers out at commercial breaks."  
"That way, no one will get too much camera time," Corny grinned, catching on. When he said this, Amber von Tussle and her selfish camera-hogging immediately came to mind. "Perfect, Edna."

Edna grinned too. "Glad to help."

"Oh, and call me Corny," he insisted. "After all… you are MY boss."

"Right," Edna murmured, already back to business.

Stepping onto the stage, Corny tapped a mic and started to command people into place.

Seaweed and Inez were put together, because Maybelle thought Inez was too young to be with other boys (and secretly thought it best that she not cause controversy by dancing with a white boy, so soon after being crowned Miss Hairspray).

Tracy thought that means that she would be placed with Link, but Corny decided to put him with Amber, whose replacement partner, Brad, had just left the show. Tracy would be dancing instead with a boy named IQ, a rather dorky-looking fellow who seemed nice enough.

That was not the case.

As the two couples danced together, IQ, unaware that Tracy were going, he (not having attended the pageant), murmured something to Link.

"Man, how did I get the _cow_ and you get the _fox_?"

IQ began to snicker, thinking Link would agree with him and do the same. Amber, who IQ was also hoping to impress, was beaming at the compliment for her and the clear degradation of her enemy, Tracy. Tracy was blushing furiously, ducking into IQ's shoulder as to not show her face. Try as she might not to, she was starting to cry. She did NOT want to be embarrassed on live television.

Link, on the other hand, had no such qualms. Enraged by IQ, he released Amber immediately, and lunged at IQ.


	5. A Dangerous Assumption

"Link! What are you doing?!" Tracy shrieked. "STOP!!"

She managed to yank Link back, but not before serious damage had been done. Blood gushed from IQ's nose, where he had been punched repeatedly. Gashes striped his face where his broken glasses had raked his cheeks. Too shocked to fight back, he hadn't been able to injure Link, but Tracy was scared enough to cry anyway.

"STOP ROLLING!" Edna yelled.

Unfortunately, too much of the dramatic footage, being live, had already aired, but the cameras were cut early enough not to show the horrific picture presented by IQ's suddenly grotesque face.

"LARKIN!" Corny couldn't help but cry out. "What was THAT?"

Link wiped the gathering sweat off his forehead. "He insulted my girl," he snarled, trying to hug Tracy.

She wrenched away, frightened.

"Your girl?" IQ spluttered. He began to laugh. "_You're _going with _her?_"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," Link snapped. "I love her."

IQ began to laugh even harder.

Tracy burst out of the studio. Edna sighed, knowing she'd just go home, and decided to stay and try to clean up the mess. Link let out a shout of frustration, pushing through the crowds of concerned council members, trying to follow Tracy.

"Tracy!" he gasped, trying to catch up. "Please! Trace, I'm sorry. I just couldn't let him get away with that."

Tracy shook her head.

"Link, why can't people just accept me for who I am?" she wept.

"Trace," Link murmured into her hair as she cried into his chest, "you know that you're the only girl that I'll every really love, even if you don't look like some of the other girls on the show."

"What about Amber?" Tracy sniffled.

"Awww, Trace… you can find girls like her everywhere," Link sighed, frustrated with himself for even going with Amber at all. "But I know for a fact that there's only one you. And that's who I'm _really_ in love with."

Tracy sniffled again. "Really?"

Link nodded.

"I don't deserve you," she said, crying harder.

"Tracy Turnblad, you're the most amazing girl I've ever met," Link told her, holding her at arms' length to wipe away the tears running down her face gently with his thumb.

With a deep breath, Tracy looked up at her beloved boyfriend with a small smile.

"Well, in that case, I have a reputation to uphold," she said. "Take me for a walk, Link. We're going for a short one. To your car. I'm going to give you the most amazing night of your life."


	6. An Awkward Trip

"Drive," Tracy commanded.

Link obeyed, easing the car forward slowly, not sure where they were going.

"Remember that one day, when you saw me in detention with Seaweed?" Tracy asked. She smiled, doing so.

"Not really," Link admitted, thinking of other things.

Tracy laughed softly.

"'I'm a bad, bad girl who needs to be punished!'" she quoted herself in a fit of giggles.

"Oh."

Tracy put her hand on Link's arm as he drove.

"Turn left," she said quickly.

Struggling to focus, he did as told. Link's pretty baby blue Mustang looked rather out of place in the dark, dirty alley they had pulled into.

"Stop," she decided.

"What are we doing, Trace?"

In answer, Tracy gave him a naughty looked that even more so in the darkness. Hastily, she began to unbutton her blouse and unzip her skirt in unison. It was going dark. They were alone, undisturbed, and undiscoverable.

"Trace. NO."

"Huh?" she said, confused.

"No, Tracy. I can't do this. Not to you; not to your parents. _They trust me_. I've already screwed my reputation up enough today. I… I don't even have, well, you know… I don't have _anything_ with me, for you. For your protection. I can't do it," he repeated. "I don't want to ruin things for us, the way they are. They're good like they are. I'm happy." He gulped down a breath. "It would be awkward." (Like it wasn't.) "It would be… My. First… Time."

"Me too!" Tracy quipped, overjoyed. "It's perfect, Link. It'll be fine."

"No, it won't, Trace. Please listen to me," he pleaded.

Pausing, Tracy looked at him soberly.

"Just let me take you home."

She looked the other way, silently fixing her clothes in the darkness.

"Tracy, I love you. I want to do whatever you want to do… and badly. So bad. Dammit!" he banged his fist on the wheel. "When I'm more… prepared, I promise you we will. I'm doing this for… ugh, this is just so hard." He blew his cheeks up with air and let it out.

"It's okay, Link," Tracy said eventually. "I just wanted to make it up to you. I thought you'd want it. You'd had a bad day and…"

"I _do_. More than anything, Trace," he promised, not wanting to insult her. "But I can't let myself hurt you. Don't you remember Brenda? …I just _can't_ do it." He leaned in close to kiss her cheek, and check her watch. "Your parents will be upset already at me for having you home so late."

"No, they like you," Tracy said. "A lot."

"Which is why I can't break their trust," Link countered.

Taking shortcuts to get to Tracy's house quickly, Link stopped her before she got out of the car. He was not about to let her go, with things the way they were between them.

He dug around in his glove compartment for a moment before pulling a tiny black box out. Tracy squealed in delight as he opened it, to reveal a tiny but gorgeous heart-shaped diamond on a slim gold chain.

"I wanted to wait until our anniversary," Link said. "I, uh, got a big advance payment from the record company, and got this on Sunday."

"It's beautiful," Tracy breathed.

"Just like you."

Tracy smiled.

"I've only known of you for a few years, been your friend for a few months, and dated you for a few days. But I feel like I've loved you all my life. I'm in love with you, Tracy Turnblad."

"How am I supposed to follow that?" Tracy asked, beginning to cry again – this time, in happiness.

"Shhh. Don't try to," Link said, as she snuggled up to him. "You've made me happy, and that is more than enough."

They shared a kiss before Tracy saw her house's lights go on. Fingering her bracelet, she stepped out of the car, dizzy with joy and her love for Link. The world seemed like a faraway place.

"Good night, Trace. I love you."

"And I love _you_."


	7. A Perfect Boyfriend

Penny Pingleton noticed Tracy's new bracelet immediately.

"Oooh, Tracy," she cooed, admiring it.

"Link decided to give me my anniversary present early," Tracy told her, fingering it with a smile.

She decided to leave it at that. By a small miracle, white supremacist protestors had interrupted WYZT's broadcast of the first integrated _Corny Collins Show_ episode. It would never be aired.

According to all council members' contracts, no suing was allowed. IQ's parents were too embarrassed by their son's behavior to do so anyway.

Link's parents had not been told of the incident, because Corny had been told of the provocation. As he had never caused a problem previously, he was allowed to stay on the show, and got off with a severe warning and lecture.

Normally, Tracy told everything, but she knew some things just shouldn't be shared. Penny was already sort of a nervous person, and if she knew that Link had attacked someone (even if he had done so only to protect Tracy), she would flip. No one else but Tracy and Link would never know what else had happened. Or, rather, had almost happened.

"He's such a good boyfriend," Penny decided, looking at the bracelet.

"You have no idea."

Penny admired the bracelet another moment before returning to her locker to open it. She traced her finger over a small picture of Seaweed, smiling.

Looking down guiltily at the bracelet, Tracy realized how different Link and Seaweed were. Both of Link's parents worked, and so did he. For sixth months, everyone in the family had had a well paying job, and now, with a record deal, the threesome had it even easier. On the other side of things, Maybelle, a single mom, was struggling to support her two children. Seaweed had JUST gotten his council position, and didn't have the money for extravagances like jewelry. Now that everyone in the family had a job on the show, though, things would get better.

"Seaweed's taking me out for dinner tonight," Penny announced, waking Tracy from her long train of thoughts. "It's our one-month anniversary today, remember?"

Of course. Seaweed and Penny had been in love at first sight, and had announced it two weeks after meeting. They had been going for a month, as of today. Of course Tracy remembered it.

Tracy closed her locker as the bell rang, looking back to the couple embracing.

She smiled to herself and kept walking, as Penny and Seaweed kissed softly.

"Happy anniversary, baby," Seaweed crooned.

"Happy anniversary."

"I got something for you," Seaweed said. He pulled a small vase out of his backpack. It contained a red rose, and a small piece of paper was tied neatly around its neck.

" 'To my dearest Penny,' " Penny read. " 'May our love continue to bloom and grow.' Aww, Seaweed!"  
Blushing slightly, Seaweed let Penny kiss him again.

"This is a great gift," Penny decided. "Oh, and I forgot – I have something for you." She handed him a small, neatly wrapped package.

Opening it, Seaweed gasped.

"A record?" Wow, baby – that's… this is…" He was so happy, he was stuttering. "This is a black band!" he crowed after a moment's thought, reading the record's label. "How'd you manage to buy this?"

"Well, Tracy bought it for me," Penny admitted. "My mom woulda flipped." Speaking of such… she twirled her pigtails nervously. She was sure to get it for not coming home for dinner time that night. Oh, well, it was worth it for Seaweed. But who could imagine what punishment might be in store for her?

"Ready for tonight?" he asked, putting his arm around her as they walked.

"Oh, yes. But I know a storm's comin'."

"Then I guess you'd better get a raincoat to protect yourself, sugar," Seaweed grinned, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm going to be late," Penny gasped.

"Go straight to the studio after school," Seaweed reminded her as they parted ways. "I'll take you out as soon as the show's over, all right?"

Penny nodded, rushing into class and settling into her seat – just as the late bell rang. She put the little rose on the corner of the desk, where she could see it. She fingered it with a smile, and knew that she had a perfect boyfriend.


	8. A Happier Place

"Let's go," Tracy said to Penny, who was currently taking a rather long time to get herself dressed and ready in the school bathroom.

"I'm coming. One second."

"Wow, Penny," Tracy sighed, as Penny stepped out of the stall. She was wearing the same gorgeous dress she had to the Miss Hairspray pageant. "You look so pretty. I'm sure Seaweed will be really impressed."

"Hopefully," Penny said, fixing an earring.

"Our chauffeur is waiting," Tracy giggled, gesturing to Link, who was waiting in his car.

"Great," Penny sighed, struggling slightly in her tight dress and heels. "I don't think I could walk to my house, let alone the studio. Thanks, Link."

"Milady," Link said, bowing deep to Penny and opening the passenger door.

"Thanks," Penny giggled, settling into the seat.

Tracy squished herself into a back seat of the small convertible, glad the ride to the studio would be short.

"So, where's he taking you, Penny?" she asked.

"Must be pretty hip," Link put in.

"Oh, it is," Penny assured me. "He's taking me to a place called Anthony's. It's downtown."

_Is it safe_?Tracy mouthed, but Link had already turned back to face forward and look at the road. Tracy folded her arms, worried.

"We're here," Penny announced.

Link exited the car to open Penny and Tracy's doors.

"I've gotta go get ready," he said, beginning to head off.

"Thanks again for the ride!" Penny called after him.

"C'mon. Let's sneak you into my trailer before Seaweed sees you," Tracy said, taking Penny's hand and leading her off.

"Good afternoon, dear," Mary, Tracy's hair and makeup artist, greeted her, as they entered the trailer. She looked Penny over, with a subtle but critical eye. "Oh, and who is this?"

"My friend Penny," Tracy announced. "Can I stash her here for a while?"

"Oh, okay dear," Mary said.

"It's her and her boyfriend's anniversary. She got all dressed up for them to go out to dinner, and I don't want him to see her yet," Tracy explained. "Oh, and can you show her to Seaweed Stubbs' trailer in a few minutes? She can wait there for him until we're done filming."

"Uh." Mary hesitated. "Sure."

"Seaweed is my boyfriend," Penny said flatly, in case Mary hadn't figured it out.

"How nice," Mary said, with a tiny smile.

Penny rolled at Tracy when Mary looked the other way. She was obviously just another old traditionalist who didn't like it or think it was right when people of different races were going together. Tracy gave Penny a sympathetic look, understanding.

"Okay, dear, I'm ready for you," Mary said to Tracy, who sat down in a salon chair next to a lit vanity.

"Hey, there's me," Penny noted, pointing to a picture of her on the vanity.

"Yep," Tracy said, watching her friend's eyes trace around the frame of the mirror in her reflection.

"The picture of Link has a lipstick mark on it," Penny laughed.

"Oh, ya found me out," Tracy mock-sighed. "I'm in love with Link Larkin."

"You're done, dear," Mary said quickly.

"Thanks, Mary. I guess I'd better get going." She checked her watch; filming started in only a few minutes. "Happy anniversary, Penny. Have fun tonight, and be safe, okay?"

As Tracy left the room, Penny felt a coldness enter.

"Uh, Miss Mary, I think I can find Seaweed's trailer myself. But thanks for offering," she said, pointedly.

Mary, busy putting Tracy's makeup away, didn't look up.

"Well, …bye."

Penny left the room, careful not to slam the door in her hurry to get to a happier – and more accepting – place.


	9. A Happy Anniversary

"Oh, and Seaweed," Tracy heard Corny say. "We don't, uh, need you today. Tracy and Link will take over as head couple. Go ahead and go out for dinner or something. You get the day off."

Link looked over at Tracy and winked. Her heart melted.

"Hey, thanks," Seaweed beamed, running off to fetch Penny.

"Looks like everything worked out," Link smiled. "And your mom's plan to switch out dancers seems pretty successful." He looked around the room. "I heard today's kind of a slow day. Slow dancing." He waltzed in a circle around her, taking hold of her hand romantically and giving it a light kiss. "Mademoiselle, may I have this dance?"

"Oui," Tracy smiled.

Tracy felt especially pretty – Mary had done some extra work today – as she laid her head on Link's chest and danced with him. She sighed, moving slowly and rhythmically in sync with Link and the music.

"What do you think?" she asked, twirling.

"I like it," Link grinned, his eyes sparkling playfully. "A move like that could…'

"I meant how I look, silly," Tracy admonished him.

Even though they were in a mischievous mood, it was easy to tell how both of them felt about each other. The lights in the studio had been turned down slightly, and slow, soft music had replaced the normally upbeat melodies. Everyone in the studio could feel the change.

On the other side of town, Seaweed also treated Penny to a nice, slow dance.

"Everyone's staring," Penny whispered.

"Shh, baby, I know," Seaweed murmured, never taking his eyes from hers. "But it's just us, here on this floor, right now. No one else matters."

A few other teen couples filled the restaurant, as well as some adults and a family or two. Most of the other people in the booths were white, and almost all of the waiters were black, Penny saw with disappointment.

As they sat down to order, Penny saw that the waiter approaching them looked rather familiar.

"Seaweed? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Taking me baby out for an anniversary dinner," Seaweed said, putting his arm around Penny. "Penny, this is my friend and fellow dancer, Jamal."

"Were you dancing with Amber at the pageant?" Penny asked, suspicious.

"That's me."  
"Man, I cannot tell you how weird of a look her mama was givin' you," Seaweed chuckled, shaking his head at the memory of Velma von Tussle's facial expressions when she watched Amber dancing with a black boy.

"Oh, here comes the boss. I'll talk to y'all later," said Jamal.

Seaweed sighed.

"It's hard enough for _me_ to be with _you_. I can't imagine what it's like to have to go through the likes of Velma von Tussle," he said, shuddering for the Jamal's sake. "And for Amber to go along with it… there really must be something there. Maybe she's not as bad as we thought."

"Oh, she is," Penny grumbled.

Seaweed pulled her closer and crooned to her, "Wanna dance?"

Penny knew she wasn't anything like Tracy when it came to dancing, but she felt invincible when with Seaweed.

The two returned to the floor, dancing even slower this time. Penny laid her head on Seaweed's shoulder but was struggling to focus. So much had happened in the short month that they had been together. She could only wonder what lay ahead.

"Here comes trouble," Seaweed muttered suddenly, glancing at the restaurant's entrance.

Brad and Amber stood in the doorway.

"Poor Jamal," Penny said knowingly.

At their side, Jamal looked frustrated, but he had known that Amber couldn't override her mother's strict rules.

"You guys better split," Jamal suggested.

"Thanks, brother," Seaweed said. "Later."

Penny cast him a sympathetic look before Seaweed pulled her out the back door Jamal was showing them to.

Sitting out back, Penny breathed, "Think they saw us?"

Seaweed shrugged. "Sorry this didn't go as planned."

"I had fun," Penny quipped.

"Let's go back to my house. We can have something to eat there, and just as good of a party," Seaweed promised. "With, uh, better company."

Penny nodded sleepily, getting into the car.

"Happy anniversary, baby," Seaweed said, giving Penny a kiss.

"Happy anniversary." She kissed him back.


	10. A Small Confession

"And… we're off."

"Good job, everybody," Link called out, always the leader.

"I've never had as much fun slow dancing," Tracy said, snuggling up to Link as they exited the studio. "But everything's different now… with you." She smiled up at him, and he smiled back at her.

"I wonder how things turned out with Seaweed and Penny," Link mused.

"They looked so nice when they left."

"Where'd they go, again?"

"Anthony's," Tracy said, trying to sound calm. Penny had never been downtown at night before, especially not with someone black.

"I'm sure they're fine," Link promised, putting his hand on Tracy's arm.

"Will you walk me home?" Tracy asked, putting Link's hand in hers. "I guess Ma already left without me."

Link nodded. "It would be my pleasure."

"Good job today," Tracy said, nudging him.

"Oh, everything's easy with you," Link grinned.

"So, did you ask Corny to talk to the other council members about going on tour yet?" Tracy asked, trying to be subtle.

"Agh!" Link smacked his forehead with his free hand.

"You forgot, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Well, that's okay. We still have two weeks of school left."

"Don't remind me," Link groaned.

"Two weeks will go by fast," Tracy sighed.

"Oh, don't do that," he said. "Once summer begins, we won't need to be distracted. We can spend a little time at the studio, but most of my time will be devoted to a pretty little lady who I stole a dance with today."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Good." Tracy breathed in the smell of him as she snuggled close in the cooling air. "I couldn't imagine life without you."

"Well, now you're NEVER getting rid of me," he laughed. "We'll be on a tour bus together for two weeks, twenty-four-seven, going across the country with no way to turn back." He took a moment to think about this. "By the end of the summer, we'll be better singers and dancers than ever before. We'll get closer to our fans…"

"And closer to each other," Tracy added, smiling.

"I can't wait!" Link sang out.

"Me either."

"Well, see ya tomorrow, Trace. Remember, we got a double date with Seaweed and Penny at the drive-in on Saturday night, right?"

"How could I forget?" Tracy asked.

Link gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"'Night."

"'Night."  
Tracy sat down at the dinner table in her house, setting her bag on the floor at her feet.

"Homework?" Edna asked from the kitchen.

"No, it's a Friday," Tracy reminded her.

"That's right," Edna sighed. "We've got a whole weekend to spend together, right, hon? We could go shopping…"

"Uh, actually Ma, I've got a date," Tracy beamed.

"How nice," Edna said, feeling slightly hurt but not showing it.

"I'm sorry, Ma. This will be our first official date, and all. We've been waiting forever to…"

"I understand, hon. Maybe we'll do something – your father and I."

Tracy nodded, picking at the place of spaghetti Edna set down for her in slight guilt. She hadn't meant to make her mom feel left out, but she was in a real relationship now. Of course, Edna would understand.

"Hey, babe," Wilbur called, coming into the kitchen, "can you get your friend Mr. Larkin to come by after school tomorrow?"

"Awww, Dad," Tracy moaned, "you aren't gonna give him The Talk, are you?"

"Of course not. I just want an autograph."

Edna put her hands on her hips.

"Now, Wilbur, you're every bit as good of a dancer as he is," she pointed out, remembering one particular night not too long ago."

"Oh, just so I can sell them and say, 'I knew him when…' I heard he got a record deal, and it was a twofer – he 'n' Trace'll be singing duets for the whole United States to hear 'em," he said proudly.

Tracy cringed.

"When were you planning on telling us this, hon?" Edna asked.

"Soon…"

Edna grabbed her daughter in a bear hug. "We're so proud of you, hon. If you wanna do it, we support you."

"Oh, and um… we're going on tour this summer," she added hesitantly.

Edna and Wilbur exchanged looks.

"Well, you're only young once," Wilbur decided. "If this is what you want, go out there and get it!"


	11. A Similar Situation

"AMBER!"

"Coming, Mother," Amber von Tussle answered, fluffing her hair quickly before hurrying to her mother's bedroom.

"When I watched yesterday, you were dancing with Link. Who is this _Brad_?"

Amber gritted her teeth. She had been dancing with Brad for almost a month now, but her mother hadn't noticed, apparently. She had been so busy doing things with the show that she must not have. Now that she was fired, she stayed home, alone, watching the show each and every day, criticizing Amber, and only occasionally looking through the classifieds in the newspaper for a new job.

"He's my new partner," Amber said eventually.

"And Link is…"

"With that whale," Amber admitted disdainfully. Her attempt at sounding cheerful couldn't mask her feelings. She sniffed. "I… she's, just… ahhh!" Amber pursed her lips in frustration. "I HATE her, mother."

"I know you do, Amber," Velma replied, through clenched teeth, trying to be patient.

Amber continued her senseless rant, pacing around the room as she babbled.

"What are you going to do about it?" Velma finally snapped.

"Me?" Amber squeaked.

"If you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have any power on the show anymore," Velma said, rather bitterly. "Thanks to those…" She shook her head to indicate her feelings. With a sigh, she stood and brushed herself off. Casually, she looked down at a magazine she had been reading, made by a company that she was considering going to an interview for tomorrow. "You have to do something. Link CAN'T be happy with her…"

"Does he even remember who I am?"

A gleam came into her mother's eyes.

"He will after tomorrow," she said.

Penny sat on the couch, pretending to do her homework as she watched her mother pace around the house.

"What is it, mother?" she asked.

"Do your homework, Penny," Prudy snapped.

"Yes, mother."

Silent again, Penny wondered what her mom was thinking about. Many scraps of paper littered the counter, along with small, neat piles of money. She really wanted to ask what was going on, but knew better than to do so.

Nervously tapping her notebook, Penny finally annoyed Prudy.

"It's your father," Prudy burst out. "He's getting out of jail."

Penny's mind raced. She had never known much about her father – he had always been away on trips, spent more time in hotels than in his own house, and never went more than two years without a trip to jail.

"He's coming home?" she finally managed.

"Yes. Tomorrow. …Let's see for how long, this time," she replied, with a quiet, bitter laugh.

Penny saddened to see how her father's jaunts were affecting her mother. Prudy had always seemed so tough and independent, but she supposed that wasn't actually the case.

"I'm going to finish the rest of it upstairs," Penny decided, grabbing her homework.

"All right."

Penny paused at the foot of the stairs.

"Do you think he even remembers who I am?"

A gleam came into her mother's eyes.

"He will after tomorrow."


	12. An Important Call

"Ready to go?"

"Yep."

Link started his car and steered in the direction of the studio. Today was Saturday, and they had a short practice session today. Tracy checked her watch. They were fifteen minutes early.

"Excited for today?" Tracy asked, nudging her boyfriend.

"Yeah, should be a great one… I heard Corny saying we were practicing a new dance," Link replied breezily, leaning over to put one of his arms around Tracy's shoulders, and using the other hand to drive. He regarded the anxious look in her eyes with a playful smile. "But, you know, I'm really more interested in what's happening tonight."

Relieved, Tracy settled back.

"Who is _that_?"

She sat back up immediately, noticing a man walking around by the front of the studio. He was wearing a black suit and coat, and had a tiny, neat goatee. He looked very professional, but he also looked very lost.

"Excuse me, sir – were you looking for someone?" Link asked, politely.

The man was puffing away on a cigarette. Startled at the two's approach, he blew out a deep breath, and a piece of ash hit Link's car.

"My apologies," the man said, out of the corner of his mouth. He removed the cigarette, dropped it, put it out with his shoe, and reached out to shake Link's hand. "My name is Michael Pingleton. I'm looking for my daughter, Penny."

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"He's here, Penny," Tracy said into the phone. "Your dad. He's at the studio right now."

There was silence at the other end.

"Penny? Penny! Penny, say something."

"I'm here, Penny said, weakly. Her breaths were shallow.

"Are you okay with this, Penny?" Tracy asked delicately, concern seeping into her voice. "I know you haven't seen him for a while, and all. This is really, really big." She spoke softer into the phone. "You are okay with this, right? You're okay?"

Penny nodded, forgetting Tracy couldn't see her.

"Penny?"

"Oh. Yeah…"

"Does your… does your mom know?"

"Yeah. She told me about it last night. The jail sent her some papers."

"Oh."

An awkward silence followed, before Tracy cleared her throat. She didn't know what else she was supposed to say. If Penny was all right, then her job was done.

"Do you want Link to come get you? We're on break right now."

"No, it's okay. He's coming home, right?"

Tracy stepped away from the phone and repeated the question to Mr. Pingleton, who asked if he could talk to Penny. Tracy repeated HIS question. Penny didn't answer it.

"Um, maybe not right now. Go home and talk to her," Tracy said to Michael.

"Oh, okay. Thanks for the help," he replied.

He left the studio, and Edna called out to continue practicing. Shocked and confused by the rapid events, Tracy felt as though she were going in slow motion. As she and Link danced towards the back of the stage, she laid her head on his shoulder and tried to clear her thoughts.

"Penny's really out of it," she said softly. "I hope she's okay."

"Well, her dad is going home to see her, right?" Link asked in a whisper, stroking her hair tenderly. "Please don't worry about it, Trace. Just enjoy the moment. We'll see her tonight, with Seaweed, if she feels all right."

"And if anything can cheer her up, it's Seaweed," Tracy agreed.

As the dance ended, Link held Tracy's hand and walked her to his car. "I guess I'll take you home so we can get ready."

She nodded.

They got into the car and Tracy began to think about what she wanted to wear. They would just be sitting in the car, so she supposed it didn't really matter. Still, she wanted to look nice.

Pulling up in front of her house, Link gave Tracy a quick kiss and let her out of the car. "See you tonight, Trace."

"See you."

Tracy got out of the car, and a brilliant idea came to her.


	13. A Not So Warm Welcome

**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry, I had to put a little author's note in here. Just to let you guys know, I'm so happy that you are reading and reviewing, and would love for you to continue to do so! On another note, I know in the previous chapter, Tracy had a "brilliant idea", and I'm going to get some angry messages for not putting anything about it in this chapter. Don't worry, it's coming eventually! Oh, and this chapter does include Mr. Pingleton, but you'll have to wait for the reason that he was in jail…**

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"Penny," Mr. Pingleton breathed, upon entering his house for the first time in a few months. "I missed you."

She stood stiffly in a crisp white blouse and her signature plaid jumper, backed up into a wall like a frightened animal. Her eyes held an anxious look, and everything about her posture suggested uneasiness. She took a step forward to accept an awkward embrace with her father. It was odd – it felt as though she were hugging a stranger.

"Michael," Prudy said, regarding her husband coldly. "You're home."

"And glad to be," Michael smiled. He held his arms out to his wife to offer her some affection, too, but she stood back, arms folded. He tried to remember at least one reason he had married this cold, empty woman, and let out a sigh.

"Look, I know this has been hard on all of us, and I'm sorry. I really didn't do anything wrong." (This brought a look from Prudy.) "But my boss offered me my old job back, and everything will be back to normal soon, I promise."

"Normal?" Penny murmured, about to laugh. "By our standards, or others'?"

Surprised by her reaction, Michael thought furiously.

"Soon, they'll be one and the same. I know I've been a bad father, and not the best husband, either. I'll try to make it up to both of you. For now, let's go out and have dinner together – talk about things, ask some questions. I know you have some," he said, sadly, to Penny. He was so ashamed of himself, at times like these – the way she looked at him in that confused, disappointed way just broke his heart. "What do you say?"

"No," Prudy snapped, walking away.

Penny was slower to react, but hurt him just as much. "Sorry, I've got a date," she mumbled, going up the stairs.

Michael sat down on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees and cradling his chin in his hands. He had a lot of work to do. Prudy was in the kitchen, also working; on dinner. Penny was working on her makeup, getting ready to go to the drive-in with Seaweed and her friends.

Thinking in silence, Michael was alone in the living room, left to replay his past and struggle with how he would fix his present to prepare for the future.

"Dinner's on the table," Prudy said sharply. "I'm going out."

She gathered up a few bags and left.

Michael sat down at the table and stared blankly at the stew sitting there for him.

Trying to sneak out, Penny tiptoed down the stairs, but the rustle of her casual but crisp summer dress. She cringed as she realized that her dad was looking at her, and quickly averted her gaze so he wouldn't think she had seen him.

Of course, she couldn't know that her father was almost opposite of her mother, and that he only wanted to feast his eyes on the happiness radiating from his daughter, whom he had not seen for a very long time. He would have loved nothing more than to meet the person who made Penny so happy (that would be Seaweed), and learn some things from them. Sadly, though, Penny could sense none of this and guessed that he was about to stop her from seeing the love of her life.

"My little girl," he sighed, longing to hug her and spin her around like he had done when she was little.

"I'm not little," Penny snapped, "and hardly yours."

With that, she stormed out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.

Not exactly the warm welcome Michael had been hoping for.


	14. A New Job

"I _said_, my name is Velma von Tussle," snapped the former _Corny Collins Show _manager. "I'm here for a job interview."

Velma and Amber stood at the front desk of _Sixties Chic_, a prominent fashion magazine. The secretary (who was rather unfit for the job, in Velma's opinion), had looked both girls up and down upon their arrival, and was secretly pleased when they had done the same to her. The von Tussles were in matching brown-and-tan skirt suits, with leopard fur trim.

"Mr. Gould will be with you momentarily," the secretary droned, suppressing a yawn.

After a minute, a big, well-dressed man with a thick brown mustache and hair to match came out of a cubicle, and invited the von Tussles to come back in with him.

"Velma," he boomed. "What a pleasure this is." He took her hand and kissed it.

Amber rolled her eyes.

"The pleasure is mine," Velma said, dryly but with a small smile. She would do whatever it took to get this job. Heaven knows she needed it, to boost her reputation after her embarrassing _Corny Collins _fiasco.

"I've heard so much about you. Please, have a seat," Mr. Gould offered.

Both girls obliged.

"So," he continued, looking back at Velma, "tell me about yourself."

"Well, I was in community plays and did a few commercials here and there," she began. "I was crowned Miss Baltimore when I was twenty-two or so. From there, I got my own talk show. Then, I had her" – she gestured at Amber – "and worked at WYZT for over a decade before the show came along. I was its manager for somewhere around a year before they, well," she spat out the word, "_integrated_ it."

"I'm so sorry," Mr. Gould said sympathetically.

"Well, after that, it was easy enough for me to move on," Velma sniffed. She decided not to add the part about rigging the Miss Hairspray contests for years so her daughter could win.

"So, why do you want this job?"

Amber shifted in her seat, attracting Velma's attention for only a moment.

"I have been a prominent figure in Baltimore's television and fashion industries for over twenty years," she told him, her fierce eyes meeting his. "Why wouldn't I want this job? And why wouldn't you want to give it to me?"

Mr. Gould smiled.

"Why wouldn't I…?"

Velma raised her eyebrows.

"…I really don't know why I wouldn't. You're hired. Welcome to the team of _Sixties Chic_, Velma. We can go and set up your office cubicle now, if you would like."

"Good," Velma said, following him to her cubicle. Amber followed Velma.

"If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to let me know," Mr. Gould added, starting off towards his own cubicle, slowly. "Oh, and Velma – our workers here are on a first-name basis. You can call me Buck." He winked at her.

Amber turned away in disgust, forgetting for a moment why she had come at all, until her mother nudged her.

"Anything you need?" Buck asked, returning quickly after noticing the gesture.

"Well, actually, there is one thing," Velma said slowly.

Buck leaned forward.

"You see, my daughter, Amber, is going on a sort of date tonight. I want her to get the young man's attention. If she doesn't, she'll be upset. You wouldn't want that, would you… Buck?"

She sat on the edge of her desk, took a hold of his necktie and twirled it around her finger, meeting his eyes with a seductive glance.

"After all, people always say that co-workers are practically… _family_…"

Amber gagged in the background.

"I'm sure we have something lying around for a photo shoot that Amber could have," Buck said graciously, returning Velma's stares without a hint of awkward feelings. "I wouldn't want her to be unhappy. Or you."

"Wonderful," Velma purred, releasing his tie. "I like this job already."


	15. A First Date

Link and Tracy sat contentedly in their car, waiting for Seaweed and Penny to show up. They fed each other popcorn and shared a milkshake, sitting right in the middle space in the very first row of the vast parking lot at the drive-in movie theater.

"Isn't this great?" Tracy asked, chewing a piece of popcorn.

"It is," Link agreed. He moved closer to Tracy and put his arm around her. She looked beautiful but cold in a spaghetti-strapped dress.

Snuggling with him, Tracy murmured, "Tonight's our night, Link."

"Tracy, I…"

The end of his sentence was drowned out by the sound of Seaweed's beat-up old car. They parked right next to Tracy and Link, and exchanged greetings before the girls plunged into conversation.

"Is your dad home? What's he like? Why was he in jail?" Tracy bombarded her friend with questions.

"He's okay, I guess," Penny replied. "We don't really talk. Never have."

So, that was the end of it. Slightly disappointed with the meager response, Tracy accepted it and decided that she shouldn't – and wouldn't – ask any more questions. At least not this night, anyway.

As the movie started, everyone fell silent. It was happy, but rather boring, and Tracy was asleep by the end of it.

"I'd better get Penny home before her mom comes and gets me," Seaweed whispered over at Link, starting his car and waking Tracy anyway. "See y'all on Monday."

As soon as their car was gone and Tracy was fully awake, she turned to look at Link. "Link, what were you saying, earlier?"

Link took a deep breath. He looked behind him, and on his left and right. There was empty space in each place, with only a vacant car on the left. He pulled Tracy close to him, gave her a kiss, and looked deep into her eyes.

"I was saying that I'm ready… IF this is what you really want."

"It is," Tracy breathed. She could hardly believe this was happening.

He kissed her, lightly, on her forehead, and dug around in his pocket for a certain small package. He fingered it and looked at Tracy again. "Trace, please know that I love you more than anything. Even…"

"AMBER!" Tracy shrieked.

"Yes," Link said, slightly startled that she could read his mind. "That's exactly what I was going to say…"

"No, Link, look," Tracy whispered.

Link gasped.

Tracy was right. Standing up and waving at the couple from in front of their car, in the most revealing dress that Link had ever seen, was a very satisfied-looking Amber von Tussle.

"Oh, hey guys!" Amber chirped. "Um, my date kinda left me here, and I was wondering if you could do me a reallyreallyreally big favor and take me home tonight."

Link gritted his teeth.

Tracy rolled her eyes.

"There goes our night," they whispered.

"I guess," Link finally grumbled, wiping at his eyes in a sleepy fashion and squeezing Tracy's hand apologetically.

"Yay!" Amber jumped up and down, and so did her chest, which was barely contained by her dress.

Sitting in the back seat, Amber leaned forward to get between the couple. She smiled at Link and began babbling about her mother's new job. Link looked straight ahead, ignoring her completely.

"Good night," he snapped, stopping abruptly in front of Amber's house and waiting for her to get out.

"Oh… good night," Amber said, sadly, slowly getting out.

Tracy growled at Amber's back as the girl went into her house.

"Good riddance," she added.

Link sighed. "I'd better get you home. Next Saturday will be better, I promise." He raised his eyebrows at her pointedly took the packages out of his pocket and placed them gently in his glove compartment. "Now, we're good and prepared." He allowed himself a passionate kiss with his beloved before driving her, more quickly than he would have liked, back to her house.

"I love you, Link," Tracy told him, satisfied with their first date. "Good night."

"I love you too, Trace," Link replied, kissing her again. "And, uh, Trace? Please don't ever even think that a dress like that – or a lack of a dress, really – will get my attention."

Tracy laughed.

"Good to know. Good night," she said, finally.

As she skipped up the steps to her house, she honestly had to wonder if there was anyone who had ever lived who had been happier than she was at that moment.


	16. A Time to Think

**A/N: Please bear with me; this chapter and the next will have a lot of explaining about characters' feelings. I decided to expand on some of their thoughts, since many of them were sort of left out in the movie. Don't worry, many exciting things are coming!**

With only one remaining week of school and two weeks till the start of the (still unannounced) tour, everyone on the set of the _Corny Collins Show _was getting visibly antsy.

Especially Amber.

Saturday night had been a disaster. She had been miserably cold in the little garment her mother had stuffed her into, and hadn't exactly enjoyed watching Tracy shove her tongue down Link's throat, OR sitting in the back with that whale in the passenger seat.

Did Amber still love Link?

She wasn't sure if she ever had, really. What she had loved was the attention they got; the reputation they had. But had she loved Link, as a person? Well, to be honest… no.

It wasn't like she'd ever actually thought about it before, but now that she did, it made it easier to accept the fact that she didn't have him anymore. Deep down, she could understand why Link had stopped calling her; stopped telling her movie times; stopped grabbing her in the hallway for a kiss. And she guessed that all along what they had felt for each other hadn't been love at all.

This fact was hard to face – Amber and Link had been going steady for quite a while. Things had seemed perfect, even on the show. It just figured that Link's new girlfriend had taken _that _away, too.

After all this thinking, Amber felt slightly tired. She laid back on her bed.

Tomorrow was Monday. She would figure things out then. There were many places to go – school, the studio, the place where her mom worked – and many places to find a new boyfriend.

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Penny and Seaweed were driving around very late Saturday night after the movie had gotten out. They were approaching Penny's neighborhood when a series of loud pops rang out.

Gunfire.

As calmly as he could, Seaweed turned the car around and began driving back to his neighborhood.

"Seaweed, what was that?" Penny whimpered.

"Don't worry, baby," Seaweed whispered, putting his finger to her lips. "Most of the time, it's just some kids out shootin' cans. But to be safe, we're gonna take a little detour." He smiled, and Penny giggled when his white teeth appeared in the hidden darkness of his face.

"Can I stay the night? Can I really?" Penny asked, talking mostly to herself. "My mother will shoot me…"

"Better than having _them_ do it," Seaweed decided, looking back towards the origin of the popping sounds. He parked the car in front of his house and led Penny in. "C'mon in, sugar."

He pulled Penny into the recording studio that adjoined his house, and showed her to his mom, who was up late writing something – probably for the show.

"Boy, you're in trouble now," Maybelle sighed. "Explain yourself."

Seaweed did so.

"Well, I guess she'd better stay then," Maybelle said, happy to have a visitor (especially Penny, who she liked very much).

"Oh, thanks, Maybelle," Penny said.

"You're welcome, baby," Maybelle replied, giving her a hug to reassure Penny of her feelings. "Seaweed will take you and Lil' Inez to school tomorrow, but for now, you can crash in my bed. I have some thinking to do, and I'll be up for a while, I think."

Seaweed snuck into Inez's room to get a long nightgown for Penny.

"'Night, sugar," Seaweed said, giving her a kiss as she settled into his mother's bed. "Sleep tight."

Penny smiled, and fell into the best sleep she'd had in a long time.


	17. An Unexpected Announcement

On Monday, Corny called everyone to attention. Tracy guessed that her mother had told him about going on tour, and that he was about to tell all the other council members about it.

"Okay, gang, gather 'round," he said, tapping his mic. "I have a very exciting, but, uh, rather unexpected announcement."

Tracy shivered with anticipation.

Seaweed, who was standing next to her, gave Tracy a strange look and left.

Corny called Maybelle up to the stage with him, and they both leaned into the mic, all smiles. "We're getting married!" they said, in unison.

_Huh?_

Tracy had never seen _that_ one coming. She turned, looking at the facial expressions of the other council members. Apparently, they hadn't either.

Looking for Seaweed, Tracy made her way through the other council members. He was standing alone at the outside of the circle, a blank stare on his face as he stared at the ground.

"Wow," Tracy managed.

"It's big," Seaweed said, in agreement.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, reaching up to give him a reassuring hug.

"It's weird," he said. "My mom wrote me a note and left it on the table when she left. She was working on it all last night." He shook his head, still in shock. "Corny's a great guy, and it's obvious Mom likes him. I saw them talking all the time. It's just… surreal."

"You've never really had a dad, huh?" Tracy said softly.

"No," Seaweed replied. "And, Lord, he's only thirteen years older than me."

"Let's talk," Tracy told him, pulling him to a bench where they sat. She had never seen smooth, sweet Seaweed looking so forlorn. "It looks like we have the day off," she added, watching the ensuing celebration.

"You've never heard my story, have you?"

"No. Penny's told me some," Tracy admitted. "I hope that's okay with you."

Seaweed nodded and sat down to begin.

"Well, my mom grew up poor. She was only fifteen when I was born," he said, sadly. "Fortunately, my dad was a good guy and stayed with her. Lil' Inez was born when I was three. My dad got my mom a job with a record company after Inez was born, but he had to move away when I was really little. Got a job in California," Seaweed explained.

"Do you remember him at all?" Tracy asked gently. She pictured her dad, and sadness filled her when she imagined not having him.

"A little," Seaweed sighed. "But Mom did a good job with us, and I was the man of the house – took care of everybody and everything, y'know?" He smiled at the memory. "We were doing fine. This… this changes everything."

"Does it bother you that he's white?" Tracy blurted.

Seaweed laughed.

"Girl, color sure don't matter to me," he said, thinking of Penny. "Wouldn't expect my mama to think any differently. Besides, he's a groovy dude," he added. "And he sure loves her…"

Tracy nodded.

"Well, I'd better go," Seaweed decided, getting up when he saw Penny, alone, in the middle of the set. Link was also wandering around, alone. "And, uh, you should go too."

Smiling, she agreed and went to go get her boyfriend. They shared a light kiss before Link hopped up onto the stage.

"This is a classic everybody loves," he began, introducing a song he was about to sing. "But I'm putting a new twist on it. C'mere, Trace; let's do a duet." Scanning the crowds for his girlfriend, he noticed Seaweed with Penny, who had stayed the night with him and gone to school and the studio with him.

As he pulled Tracy up onto the stage, Link launched into "It Takes Two."

Crooning to her, he felt more in love than ever before. He had intended on singing the song for Corny and Maybelle, but could only look at Tracy when saying those words. By the end of the song, when all the other couples in the room were kissing, they did the same.

"Congratulations, Corny and Maybelle!" everyone cried in unison.

It had been a great day.


	18. A LifeChanging Discovery

"Penny," Michael gasped, his eyes bloodshot as he ran up to his daughter as she entered the house. "Thank God you're home. I was so worried. I thought you'd up and left me, too."

"What?" Penny cried, paling.

"Your mother left me," Michael moaned, collapsing onto the couch. "When she went out last night, she never came home."

Penny gasped. What had happened to her rational mother? Shocked, she sat too.

Now that he had someone to take care of – all by himself – Michael's face took on a look of resolve. "Penny, tomorrow I'm going to work. Then, I'll figure out how to cook dinner… somehow… and do laundry." He nodded, reassuring himself. "For now, let's talk."

Penny looked at him blankly.

"I know I haven't been there for you, but I will be now," he vowed. "I was a businessman, and always had to travel. I was honestly married to my work. But now, _you're_ my number one priority."

Shifting, Penny looked away.

"Penny, I'm not who you think I am. I'm not a bad person," he insisted, stopping to clear his throat. "I'm just a man who was too ambitious for his own good." He twiddled his thumbs anxiously. "I wanted to be rich. I would provide for my family; see the world; _save_ the world." He shook his head with a small, bitter smile. "Turns out my family missed me, my company was corrupt, and nobody wanted my help."

Her face softening as she realized her father's real feelings for her, Penny fought back the urge to go hug him. She wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"The company I worked for balked, so I ended up taking all the blame," he sighed. "Tax evasion, and who knows what else… plenty of time done for that. I still wanted to make something of myself though – start over, be a hero – so I started helping out some blacks with their civil rights. That meant more trips to jail." He looked at Penny. "Now you know why I was gone so much. It wasn't because I didn't love you. Oh, Lord, did I love you. Do you know how many times I sat in a cold cell for doing the right thing? And every time I thought of you, it made things all right. I should have been here all along, with the people I love."

"Dad," Penny said, leaning forward to face him. "Why couldn't I have known this before?" She got up, and caressed her father in a warm hug. It felt good, saying that – _Dad._

"I love you, Penny," Michael sighed, enjoying the hug he had never gotten. "From here on out, I will be the best dad you could imagine. Anything you want, you've got it," he promised, suddenly eager to please his daughter.

"Okay, Dad," Penny laughed. "Really?"

Michael shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Well, in that case, I have someone I want you to meet," Penny said, taking him to the car. "Just follow my directions…"

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It was hard to believe that Penny could see Seaweed as much as she wanted to now. It still hadn't sunk in yet. Nothing really had.

Michael stopped the car and followed her to the door of the house.

"Who is it?" Lil' Inez asked, from inside, as they knocked.

"Penny."

"Oh, hey, girl," Inez greeted her, opening the door swiftly. "C'mon in. The party's still goin'." She paused to look over Michael. "So, who's this?"

"My dad," Penny said breezily, hiding a smile.

"All right…"

Leading her father through the small, cluttered, but cozy house, Penny's face lit up when she made it to Seaweed, who was dancing and mingling with friends. Seeing Penny, he walked over, looking surprised to see her.

"Hey, sugar," he said, giving her a light kiss. "What's up?"

"Seaweed, I'd like you to meet my dad."

"Ah. Mr. Pingleton," he said respectfully, putting his hand out. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Dad, this is my boyfriend," (_and the love of my life_, she added silently), Seaweed."

Michael took Seaweed's hand and shook it, impressed with the boy's manners. "Call me Michael," he insisted. "And the pleasure is mine, young man. I see how happy you make Penny…" He gave her a sideways hug. "It's amazing."

Seaweed nodded, pleased.

"My mom's gone, Seaweed," Penny said softly, trying to keep her voice neutral. She missed her, sort of, but also felt freed. "Which means no rules, and no limit to the time we can spend together." She took his hand and squeezed it.

"Sounds good to me," Seaweed grinned.


	19. A Good Chance

"I had a chat with Link's record company this morning," Corny said, to begin Tuesday afternoon's show. "We are holding a contest Friday to determined who will be going on the first ever… _CORNY COLLINS SHOW_ TOUR!"

The female council members shrieked with delight.

"Our top 6 dancers and top 6 singers - 3 of each sex for each – will get to go on tour with our lovely Link and Tracy, along with our show's manger, me, and my co-host & fiancée, Maybelle."

As the screams finally quieted, Corny smiled charismatically into the camera, and Maybelle took over.

"And audience members, we haven't forgotten you!" she said. "Come join the nicest kids in town for that friendly competition! Who knows? Maybe you'll be one of the lucky four singers or dancers who get a six month membership on the council, AND a free, all-expenses paid tour trip, courtesy of our new co-sponsor, Solo Flite Record Company!"

"So start practicing now for Friday," Corny joined in. "Be there, or be square!"

The council members all laughed and clapped.

"Okay, council, take it away!" Corny said.

Happy to oblige, they did so, dancing to an upbeat tune. Many of the council members were silently vowing to work harder, to get ready for the competition and to go on tour. Those who had to work the hardest were Seaweed and Inez.

When the show ended, Tracy, Link, Seaweed, and Lil' Inez got into Seaweed and Link's cars to drive over to Penny's house.

"Penny, didja see?" Tracy shrieked.

"Are you going to audition?" Seaweed asked, hopefully.

"Didn't Momma look good?" Inez inquired.

"How's my hair?" Link fretted.

Everybody laughed.

Penny thought for a moment, trying to answer. "Uh, yes… I saw. Link, your hair's fine. Maybelle looked awesome," Penny promised, giving Inez a hug. "And so did you, cutie. And, Seaweed," Penny continued, her face glowing with a particular adventurousness, "if you're going, so am I!"

Seaweed, euphoric, swept her up in a hug and kissed her passionately. "Baby, just think – you and me, together in a bus for two weeks, seeing the country, and seeing our love grow." He noted with pride that the rose he had given her was sitting on her desk, with the note still attached.

"That sounds amazing," Penny breathed, leaning into him. "I can't wait."

Link checked Tracy's watch.

"Well, uh, we'd better get going," he said pointedly to Tracy. "Practice up, guys. See ya tomorrow."

Tracy give him a look – _what a sad excuse _– but allowed herself to be pulled away. "See ya later, guys! Have… fun!"

"Bye," Penny and Seaweed chirped in unison.

Sitting on the couch together, Seaweed began to explain some dance moves to Penny. They stood to practice them, but Penny was having trouble with his quick, jolting moves and couldn't keep up.

"Maybe we'd better audition as singers," Seaweed suggested. "Then, Inez can get to spotlight. Plus, we'll get a better chance of getting to go—"

Standing silently in the doorway, Michael asked, "Go where, Penny?"


	20. A Fierce Competition

"Dad," Penny breathed. "I guess I have a lot to explain."

Michael nodded, looking puzzled but not angry. He sat down on the couch, near the place where they'd been practicing, to set down his now-full briefcase. Obviously, he was just returning from work.

"You know the show Seaweed and my friends are on, the _Corny Collins Show_?" Penny asked, gently.

"Yeah," Michael said. "Sure, I know it."

"Well, they're going on tour. And I plan on going with them."

"Oh," Michael said, slowly.

He looked from Penny to Seaweed, who was standing silently at her side, with his hand protectively placed on her back. His face was expressionless as Michael searched it.

"Dad, please let me go," Penny said. "I've never been outside of Baltimore."

"Oh, Penny, I wasn't going to stop you! I'm just… going to miss you when you're gone, that's all." He smiled and stood to hug her.

Gladly, Penny accepted the hug.

"So, when are you leaving?" he wondered.

"A week and a half," Penny announced.

"A week and a third," Seaweed corrected her, with a grin.

"All right then," Michael said.

"We'd better start practicing," Seaweed decided. "Uh, if you don't mind, Mr. Pingleton, we have a singing competition to get ready for. I was thinking we could just go up and practice up in Penny's room, or something, if I've got your permission 'n' all…"

"No, no, stay. Practice away. I wouldn't miss it," Michael said.

Everyone smiled.

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"You ready, baby?" Seaweed asked.

"BORN ready," Penny replied, smiling.

They stood backstage, readying themselves for the competition as Corny introduced them. "Now auditioning is one of our multitalented head dancers and his girlfriend. Give it up for Seaweed Stubbs and his partner, Penny Pingleton!"

Maybelle swelled with pride as they came onto the stage.

Penny and Seaweed sang a slow, soft, romantic song that he had written himself. The crowd seemed hypnotized, and when the couple finished their song, the crowd just sat there for a moment before erupting into wild applause. Seaweed and Penny grinned, bowed, and headed backstage together.

"They loved us," Seaweed grinned, breathless.

"And I love you," she breathed.

Pushing him up against a wall, she began to make out with him, feeling all of her limitations leaving her as she let all of her emotions into the kiss. She wanted Seaweed to know how much she loved him.

As the other acts ended, they sat on the bench backstage. The winners would be announced soon, and Penny shivered with anticipation. Seaweed squeezed her hand to reassure her.

"Could our couples auditioning for the singers' spots please come to the stage?" Corny said into his mic.

Penny noticed with nervousness how crowded the stage was. Since she and Seaweed were auditioning for guest spots, there were even more people who they had to compete with. The girls around her were giggling nervously, and fluffing their hair or smoothing down their skirts. _Only one of us is going_, she thought. _Oh, God, please let it be me._

"Well, our judges had quite a bit of trouble deciding who our guest singers would be," Maybelle announced, looking around at the people on the stage. "But one couple in particular caught their attention."

"The guest couple who will be singing on the first-ever _Corny Collins Show_ tour and on the show for the next six months is…" he paused for suspense… "Seaweed J. Stubbs and Penny Pingleton!"

"We did it!" Penny screamed, grabbing Seaweed by the shoulders and dancing him around in a circle.

Seaweed just grinned.

"I knew we could do it, baby," he said, giving her a light kiss. His lips still tingled.

"Congrats, kids!" Maybelle beamed.

"Now, the next portion of our competition is our guest dancers," Corny began. "Then, following a short commercial break, we'll hold a competition for our own singin' and swingin' council kids." He talked on, but Seaweed and Penny weren't listening.

Walking Penny out of the studio, Seaweed looked at her with a grin.

"We'd better get you home,' he said, as they settled into his car. "'Cause it's time for you to start packin'!"

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**A/N: Hey, hope you guys liked PART ONE of HAIRSPRAY: The Unauthorized Sequel. If you did, PART TWO is coming soon! Please review; I love you all! **

**xoxo,**

**hairsprayheart**


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